Ignition mechanism for internal-combustion engines



A. O. DADY.

OR'JNTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES- APPLICATION FILED JULY 27,1917.

IGNITION jMECHANISM r 1 3529,50 8. Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT orricn; Y

ARTHUR O. DADY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO PEANSTIEHL COMPANY, INC., OF NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

IGNITION MECHANISM FQR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

and useful Improvement in Ignition Mecha-' nism for Internal-Combustion Engines, of wlnch the following is a full, clear, co-nclse,

and exact description, reference being had to.

the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thls specification.

My invention relates to ignition mocha nism for internal combustion engines, and more partlcularly to lgn tion mechanism 1ncludlng a magneto, a vibrator, and a battery,

' and arranged so that either the magneto or the battery may be utilized to furnish the current necessary in providing ignition in the cylinders of the internal combustion engine. The primary object of an ignition system which includes a magneto, battery, and vibrator is to provide some means for producing an eflicient spark in the engine cylinder at the time of starting the engine or at low running engine speeds, the battery and vibrator being employed for starting or for low speeds because of the fact that the magneto does not at such speedsvproduce the current necessary for proper ignition. After the engine has started and its speed increases the battery and vibrator are cut-out of the system and the magneto permitted to operate to produce the required sparks. To effect the necessary circuit connections so that either the battery or magneto may be employed for ignition purposes I provide switching mechanism which is manually controlled and operated. As is well known the timer, which forms apart of the ignition circuit, bears a definite relation with regard to the engine speed, that is, at lower engine speeds the timer is set to what is known as its retarded position and at higher engine speeds is set to what is known as the advanced position' When the engine is running at low speedsthe battery and vibrator are utilized to furnish the necessary ignition, as hasbeen pointed out, and the timer Set to its retarded position. VVhe-n the switching mechanism is set so that the bat tery and vibratorare removed from the ignition circuit and the magneto placed in the circuit the timer is advanced so that the sparking occurs in the cylinder in ad- Specification of Letters Patent.

the apparatus as it appearsin use.

Patented Feb. 3, i920.

Application filed July 27, 1917. Serial No. 183,043.

Vance of the point of the cycle at which sparking occurs at low engine speeds. It is one of the objects of the present invention to interconnect the said switching mechanism with the timer so that they operate in unison and so that when the switchin mech anism is in a position whereby the battery and vibrator are included in the ignition circuit the timer assumes its retarded position and when the switching mechanism assumes a position wherein the battery and vibrator are disconnected from the ignition system and the magneto connected therewith the timer assumes an advanced position necessary at higher engine speeds.

These and other objects of the present invention will be pointed out more clearly in connection with the accompanying drawirgs wherein,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the several parts of the ignition mechanism showing the circuit connections; and

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts in both views.

At 3 I have shown a magneto of the usual high tension type comprising the permanent horse shoe magnets l, pole pieces 5 and 6, and an armature 7 rotatably mounted be tween the pole pieces. One end of the magneto carries a distributor comprising the severalv distributor .contacts '8-8 each of which is connected with a spark plug associated with the engine cylinders. Mounted on a shaft 9 and arranged to engage the several contacts 8.-8, one after another, is a connected with the primary winding 12 also mounted around the core of the armature and in inductive relation with the' secondary primary other side of the battery ing mechanism.

ranged to engage the two cams shown at 20 and 21 fixed to a sleeve 22 in turn connected with the arm 23. Suitable spring mecha nism is employed for normally holding the lever 18 in a position whereby its contact 17 engages the contact 16.

From the description thus far given it will be observed that upon rotation ofthe armature 7, and thus the plate 14, in the direction indicated by the arrow the contacts 16 and 17 will be opened and closed alternately due to the engagement of the lever 18 with the two cams 20 and 21. The lever 18 is grounded, as illustrated at 24, and the block 15 is connected through the conductor 25 with the inner ends of the primary and sec ondary windings 11 and 12.

Fitting over the sleeve 22 is a cap 26 carrying a binding post 27 to which is attached on the inside of the cape. contact spring 28 arranged to engage the block 15. The binding post 27 connects with a conductor 29 terminating at its other end in a contact 30. The contact 31 adjacent the contact 30 is grounded as shown at 32. The contact 33 located adjacent the contact 30 and on the side opposite the contact 31 is connected through the conductor 34 with a plate 35 mounted on the vibrator 36. This vibrator may be of any commercial type and 1n the drawing consists of an iron core 37 carrying a winding 38. One end of the winding is connected with one side of the battery 39 through the conductor 40. The is grounded, as shown at 41. The end of the winding38 opposite the conductor 40 is connected with the armature spring 42 provided with a contact 43 arranged to engage the'contact 44 mounted on the plate 35. The armature spring 42 is arranged so that .it normally assurnes a position such that the contacts 43 and 44 are in engagement. To facilitate adjustment ofthe plate 35, and thus the armature'spring 42, the vibrator casing may be provided with the adjusting screw shown at To prevent sparking across the contacts 43 and 44 I provide the condenser circuit shown at 46 across the plate 35 and the armature spring 42. Arranged to coiiperate with the contacts 36,31, and 33 is a switch lever 46 pivoted at 47 and provided with a finger piece at 48. Attached to the lever 46 at the point 47 is an arm 49, the outer end of which is connected with. the arm 23 of the interrupter by the rod 50. By swinging the lever 46 about its pivot it will be observed that the interrupter Will be advanced or retarded due to the connection 23, 50, and 49 extending between the interrupter and the switch- The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that the engine is to be started, the switch lever 46 is moved to the dotted line position Bat so that'ithe lever 43 en-" gages the contacts 30 and 33. A circuit is then provided from battery 39 through conductor 40, winding 38, contacts 43 and 44, conductor 34, contact 33, switch arm 46, contact 30, conductor 29, binding post 27, con tact spring 28, block 15 of the interrupter, conductor 25 through the primary winding 12 of the rotor to ground at 13 and back to battery. The rapid building up and'breaking down of the current in the primary winding 12 at the time tr separation of the contacts 16 and 17 results in the generation of a high inductive current in the secondary winding 7 which is utilized to provide the necessary ignition; As the interrupter contacts rotate and the lever 18 passes one of the cams 20 or 21 so that the contacts 16 and 17 are permitted to engage, the block 15 is grounded through 24. It will be observed that when the lever 46 assumes the battery position the sleeve 22 and the cams 20 and 21 assume their retarded position so that back fire is prevented at starting. Y

After the engine has started the switch 46 is moved from its Bat position to its Mag position sothat the battery and vibrator are cut out of the circuit and the magneto permitted to furnish the necessary ignition current. Then the switch 46 assumes-its Mag positionit contacts with the contact 31, which is grounded as shown.

lVith the magneto operating alone the circuit is as follows: from primary winding 12 through conductor 25, block 15 through lever arm 18, (when the interrupter assumes a position such that the lever 18- engages neither one of the cams 20 and 21,) and thence to ground at 24, one side of the primary winding being grounded as shown. As the interrupter plate 14 rotates the lever 18 engages one of the cams 20' and 21 so that the contacts 16 and 17 are separated with the result that the primary winding circuit is broken. When the armature is rotated between the poles of the magneto an E. M. F. is produced in the winding 12 .and the current flows while the contact points 16 and 17 remain closed, thus producing an electro-magnetic field around the winding. Upon the opening of the contacts 16 and 17 this current rapidly collapses and induces thereby'a high ondary winding, which is in inductive relation to the primary winding, sufficient to break down the resistance of the spark cap and produces a spark to fire the charge in the cylinder. Attention is directed to the fact that when Mag position their advanced the cams 20 and 21 assume position so that the sparking is properly timed with respect to the engine speed.v en it is desired to stop the engine the switch 46 is moved to its voltage in the sec-.

the switch 46 assumes the ofl' position so that it contacts with the contacts 31 and 30. The primary winding is bustion engines, the provision of a distributer, a timer, tvvo separate sources of current, comprising a battery and a mugneto, a switch and circuit connections for rendering either one or said sources operable in the ignition. system, linkage connecting the switch and timer whereby the latter is advanced and retarded upon operation of the switch, and means controlled by thesnid switch for short-circuiting the magneto around the interrupter for render ing the magneto noperative in the system.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 20 my mime this 23 day of July, A. I). 1917;

ARTHUR DADY.

Witnesses ALEX Fons'rnm, IDA KEssLnR. 

